At the 58th session of the Commission on Population and Development (#CPD58), DAWN joined the ongoing global conversation at a time of renewed backlash against sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and increasing fragmentation of the ICPD Programme of Action agenda. We returned to the CPD to once again bring the voices and experiences of feminists from the global South to the table.
DAWN participated in a range of events to strengthen interlinkages between the SGRG and development, resist fragmentation of rights and reaffirm feminist commitments to reproductive justice and well-being for all.
Unfortunately, CPD58 ended without a resolution, despite strong support from many governments for the critical links between the right to development, the right to health, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
This failure to reach consensus, driven by the refusal of two governments to reaffirm global commitments to SRHR and the 2030 Agenda, comes at a time when the world faces urgent and intersecting crises—from collapsing health systems to rising attacks on gender and human rights.
In response, the Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (APA), the Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), and Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) have released a joint civil society statement. It urges all governments to recommit to the full implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and the Key Actions document, with the right to development and SRHR as their cornerstones.
Events DAWN participated in at CPD58
Cai Yiping at ‘Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages: Evidence from global datasets’
8 April 2025
The side-event was co-sponsored by the UN Population Division, UNICEF, WHO, and DAWN, and it was moderated by Cai Yiping, feminist researcher and DAWN’s executive committee member. The panel highlighted how advancements in health and demographic data collection and analysis have enhanced our understanding of key global health trends and informed evidence-based policymaking.
Gita Sen at “SRHR as a Catalyst for Social and Economic Rights: Advancing Health, Equity, and Development.”
9 April 2025
This high-level panel highlighted the urgent need for equitable resource distribution and collective action to ensure that everyone—regardless of geography or income—can fully realise their sexual and reproductive rights. The event was co-sponsored by the governments of Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa, PMNCH, WHO, HRP, and UNFPA.
Vanita Nayak Mukherjee at “Uniting for the Future: SRHR for All”
9 April 2025
Feminist activist and DAWN Executive Committee member Vanita Nayak Mukherjee was part of a dynamic discussion on the future of SRHR, given the current challenges and opportunities. ‘Uniting for the Future to Strengthen Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All’, co-hosted by the governments of Finland, Sweden, and Norway, FCDO, MSI Reproductive Choices, Fos Feminista, IPPF, PMNCH, Youth Can, Ipas, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, Vaestoliitto, She Decides, DSW.
